It is a common necessity of floating dock owners, and property caretakers of lake front property to periodically relocate a dock in relation to the shoreline. On many lakes and reservoirs in the United States water level changes frequently. With water level changes, the shoreline changes, thereby requiring relocation of the dock. If the dock isn't relocated, it can become inaccessible and therefore unusable.
When water level decreases, the shoreline moves inward toward the main body of water. The dock can become beached if it's not relocated accordingly inward toward the body of water. When water level rises, the shoreline changes toward the beach. The dock will need to be relocated toward the beach or it can become isolated. When it becomes isolated, there is no access to the dock without going through water.
Thus, it is desirable to maintain the floating dock at a relative fixed distance from the moving shoreline so the end of the dock walkway is supported by, and accessed by, dry land and the entirety of dock be in water deep enough to allow boats and other recreational vehicles easy access to the main body of water. This requires dock movement to be both horizontally and vertically to changes in the water level.
Floating docks are typically held in place in relation to a shoreline by means of cables and shore anchor points. Typically, there are two anchor cable assemblies, one on each dock corner closest to the shore. The shore anchor points are secured above the high water level. Typically, hand operated winches are attached to the dock and used to control the length of anchor cables, thereby controlling the distance from the shore.
This invention provides an easy to operate and useful means of relocating a dock. The system comprises of an assembly of winches, cables, guide mechanisms, an electrical power source, an electrical box, and a control box with switches.
Throughout this patent, the referenced ‘dock assembly’ will refer to a novel dock, walkway, walkway wheels with axle, and a walkway ramp. The dock assembly may comprise of a boat dock and include a single or plurality of boats and other recreation equipment.
There are prior systems that aid in relocating said dock assembly. But they are found to be time consuming and difficult to operate. It is common among docks that require relocating to comprise of two hand crank manually powered cable winches. These manual winches attached to the dock on the two corners closest to the shoreline. The winch cables run from the manual winches to anchor points on the beach. This system requires a lot of manual effort to get the dock moving toward shore and to keep it moving in a desired perpendicular path to shoreline.
To relocate said dock assembly away from shore, manually powered winches securing the dock to the shore are released, thereby causing the cables securing to the shore to let out. Then, by manually pushing the walkway wheels, or pushing the dock assembly toward the body of water, the dock assembly moves away from the shoreline. This manual process of moving the dock assembly is difficult and typically requires a plurality of people. Windy conditions can make it near impossible to move it without additional manual help.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,050,947 (1962) to Burton involves a stationary shore supported stairway 10, an articulated walkway 12, and boat dock platform 14 anchored at the top shoreline and to the bottom of the body of water. Because it utilizes a permanent anchor to the bottom of the body of water, the stairway would not be permitted on many lakes and reservoirs. Furthermore, this patent would not be practical if the beach angle and angle of dirt just below the shoreline is a low angle. A 10 feet water level drop may require a guide mechanism and stairway over 100 feet in length. Furthermore, the bottom engaging anchor 152, free weight 148, and chain 144 are safety concerns to swimmers and recreational vehicles.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,088,287 to Berry (1963) frame 10 and base 13 are not permitted on many bodies of water because no portion of the dock are allowed to contact the ground surface of the beach or below the body of water. In addition, the guide rails are not practical for lakes or bodies of water that have a low angle of beach because they would have to be long in length. This patent will work for a steep beach angle, but not for a gradual slope of beach and shoreline. There are many dock locations where the water level may drop 10 feet and the shoreline moves inward toward the main body of water 100 feet. To work, this patent stairway 16 would need to be over 100 feet in length to compensate for a 10 feet drop in water level. This would not be practical.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,276,211 to Drake (1966) does not allow for horizontal relocation of the Dock.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,683,838 to Godbersen (1972) utilizes anchor points secured to the bottom land beneath the body of water by anchor 58. This would not be permitted on many lakes and reservoirs that require only floating docks. Chains 13 is a potential safety hazards for boaters, swimmers, and other water recreation.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,238,324 to Dettling, Jr. (1993) provides a portable boat dock and boat lift that can be used to relocate the wheeled boat dock and lift to another shore accessible area of the body of water. It has a ball receiver end 66 for connecting to a towing vehicle. It is not a dock mover that is easily moved in and outward from the shoreline. The anchor system is manually positioned 59 and 60 stake members and therefore not practical for relocating a dock due to changing water levels. Additionally, it is not tethered to the shore with cables or the like and in windy conditions can easily get turned and off perpendicular with the shoreline.
Ratchet 26 in U.S. Pat. No. 5,282,435 to Chapman (1994) is made to touch and drag the surface along the bottom of the body of water. This will disturb the land below the water and eventually wear a pathway groove in the bottom surface 30. Lower anchor 22 must be secured to the bottom, which is not be permitted on most lakes and reservoirs requiring floating docks.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,295,944 to Lovett (2001) utilizes a constant force spring mechanism to provide constant force. This would be impractical if the traveling distance was more than a few feet in either direction, or a steep direction. Slippage of the tires in mud or slick bottom would release the spring pressure and the boat dock many not move. Upon slippage, hand crank 20 is used to input additional spring tension. Manually inputting additional spring pressure utilizing hand crank 20 would be difficult to provide enough spring force to allow the boat dock to move up a steep beach.
Accordingly, several objects and advantages of the embodiment of my floating dock mover are:                a) To provide a vast improvement over prior art in design, construction, and ease of use to relocate a floating dock assembly both vertically and horizontally when lake or reservoir water level increases and decreases;        b) A method to electrically power an anchor mechanism for the dock assembly when a desired new location is achieved;        c) To provide an electrically powered method to raise and lower a walkway ramp attached to the end of a dock walkway.        
Additional objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the ensuing summary, description, and drawings.